Some of the first Oculus Rift VR headsets have been delayed

Sorry about that

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If you've spent hundreds of pounds (or dollars) on a next-generation virtual reality headset then delivery delays become even more frustrating than normal - so imagine the reaction of some Oculus Rift buyers over the weekend when they were informed that their headsets would not arrive on time.

While "many" Rifts will be "arriving on schedule and in line with original estimates", some customers with pre-orders in the pipeline are going to have to wait for up to 10 days to get their hands on the futuristic bit of kit, according to the email note sent out by Oculus.

As an apology, Oculus is waiving shipping and delivery costs for all pre-orders, so that should ease the pain if you're having to wait longer than you expected. The company says "an unexpected component shortage" is to blame for the delay.

Any chance of a Rift?

One man who has got his hands on a Rift is Alaskan resident Ross Martin - as he was the first customer to place a pre-order, Oculus CEO Palmer Luckey made sure he personally delivered the first device last weekend.

The teardown team at iFixit have also got their hands on a Rift, ranking it as a 7 out of 10 for repairability. It wasn't enough for Luckey though, who felt the iFixit team could have gone even further in ripping the headset apart.

Oculus customers will be hoping this is just a small bump in the road rather than a serious problem for Rift production. With the first HTC Vive devices due to start shipping later this week, any missteps could cause significant damage to the company's chances of being the leader in next-gen VR.